Month: May 2018

This text was originally delivered at an event honoring Simon During’s retirement from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he has been Research Professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities since 2010. During’s books include Foucault and Literature (Routledge 1991), Patrick White (Oxford 1994), Modern Enchantments: The Cultural and Secular Power of Magic (2002), Exit Capitalism, Literary Culture, Theory and Post-Secular Modernity (Routledge 2010) and, most recently, Against Democracy: Literary Experience in the Era of Emancipations (Fordham 2012). In the late eighties, the Dawkins reforms were announced, aimed mainly at increasing participation in Australian...

This text was originally delivered at an event honoring Simon During’s retirement from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he has been Research Professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities since 2010. During’s books include Foucault and Literature (Routledge 1991), Patrick White (Oxford 1994), Modern Enchantments: The Cultural and Secular Power of Magic (2002), Exit Capitalism, Literary Culture, Theory and Post-Secular Modernity (Routledge 2010) and, most recently, Against Democracy: Literary Experience in the Era of Emancipations (Fordham 2012). Can you think personally and impersonally simultaneously? Yes, you can, and that’s what I will be...

The Canadian Historical Association awarded Politics/Letters Music Editor Matthew Barlow the Clio prize for his book Griffintown: Identity and Memory in an Irish Diaspora Neighbourhood, at its annual meeting in Regina, SK yesterday. The prize recognizes meritorious publications or for exceptional contributions by individuals or organizations to regional history. Barlow won for the Quebec region. Each year, the CHA awards Clios for five regions across Canada. In social media, Barlow expressed shock at the announcement. “I am in some pretty heavy-duty company,” he wrote “This award was completely unexpected and shocking. I am kinda overwhelmed.” Griffintown is a deft...

Baby Bush Dude, It’s Rude Independent Baby Bush are a punk band from Philly, made up of a bunch of university students. Dude, It’s Rude is their introduction to the wider world, their manifesto, if you will. And that manifesto is made up of some angry feminist music. It’s soothing to the soul to hear the kids pissed off and insistent on changing the world. Hell, this is what punk is SUPPOSED to be: angry, biting, and fast. And Baby Bush are all three. Frontwoman (as an aside, my MacBook is telling me that that is not a word, whereas frontman, well, that’s fine) Eliana von Krusenstiern is of the Kathleen Hanna School of Punk Vocalry. She chants, screams, and yells her words. I am particularly fond of her work on ‘Strange Girl,’ which is auto-biograpgical, as it would seem. As any woman will tell you, it’s exhausting to be objectified, cat-called and otherwise harassed on her way through her day. It’s not just on this track, the entire 5-song ep repeats the same message. Musically, guitarist Emily Dombrovskaya lays down some minimalist riffs, her guitar never really getting in the way; she prefers the understated method. Meanwhile, rhythm section, bassist Sophia Abraham-Reveson and drummer Steve Campos-Seligman, lay down a pretty classic punk groove. Abraham-Reveson’s bass is prominent in the mix, keeping a live a long punk tradition. The joy...

The death of Phillip Roth moves me. I suspect many other Jewish men (or male intellectuals?) of a certain age are also feeling moved by their memories of feeling moved by Roth’s work, but I should speak only for myself. His literary art played a profound role in my coming of age in the late 60’s and early 70’s, specifically in facing my ambivalence about growing up male, middle class, and Jewish, in engaging what maturity, identification as Jewish but atheist in a Christian culture had to or could mean. His books were for me an ally against all...